Red Bull ready to talk with Webber for 2012 deal

Aug.01 – Current Constructor’s Championship leader Red Bull racing ready to talk with Mark Webber for the next year contract. Red Bull team Principal Christian Horner expecting the Australian will continue with the team, and he says Webber is a popular member of the team.

“We’re talking about Mark for next year, and I’m expecting him to be here. He is a popular member of the team. Horner told sportinglife.

“We’ve always agreed that later in the summer we would sit down and talk. Mark and I have a very good relationship, and conversations with Mark – as you all know – tend to be fairly straightforward.

“Both sides are keen to continue, so during the next few weeks we will take the opportunity to sit down, and with this break in the championship look at next year.”

Further than 2012, but, is unclear, with matters difficult further yesterday by team advisor Helmut Marko, the right-hand man to team owner and billionaire energy drinks magnate Dietrich Mateschitz. Marko apparently claimed to an Australian television station before the race that Webber would retire at the end of 2012, with the team to bring in Daniel Ricciardo.

Daniel Ricciardo is a product of the Red Bull young driver development programme, and after serving as Toro Rosso’s reserve earlier this year is now on loan to HRT.

“I think you’ll find Helmut said ‘possibly’. Horner said, I think Helmut was probably focusing more on Ricciardo, and these things can obviously get lost in translation.

“Mark could have another two, three or four years in F1. That’s down to him because he is still very competitive, very hungry.”

Christian Horner said about Hungarian GP actions, Vettel’s sentiments, but believes he produced a “mature” drive in difficult conditions, with second far more valuable than potentially failing to finish.

“When you have the ability for a lot more things to go wrong in a race like that, to come away with second place and extending his lead in the championship is a really positive result,” said Horner. After the break, after everybody has recharged, we’re determined to come out of the blocks in good shape with our focus to turn up and try to win every grand prix.

“Of course Sebastian wants to win, he is focused on winning, and he will continue to push. But he also knows on days when he can’t win that to finish second isn’t a disaster.”

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